History Lesson
by Serpent Mage
Summary: Yet another Exile journal.
1. Tomahna

This is your last warning, do not read this if you have not yet played this game, intend to play it, or are playing it (unless you read only to the point where you are.)  
  
Tomahna  
  
My name is Kathryn, I know it sounds like Catherine, but it isn't. Her hair is a lot straighter and longer than mine. But that isn't what the story is about. It's about a recent experience of mine. There are two more stories I should tell, but I won't. To be very brief, once I rescued Atrus from a book, and later I captured his father Gehn, then freed Catherine before that word fell apart. I'm not bragging, though. I barely managed to do either of them.  
  
Anyway, I was in my room, sorting through my vast collection of books, when I found a book that shouldn't have been there. It was a leather bound book with no title. I opened it and recognized the all too familiar linking panel. The image was of a dry, barren world. It spun towards a cliff, and then a small, greenhouse-like room nestled beside it. I then noticed a note sitting where I had removed the book from. I recognized Atrus's handwriting. How did he manage this? He had a remarkable ability to make me "stumble upon" his linking books. I read the note. It was basically a request to visit. Apparently he had been able to write a new age for the D'ni, and he wanted to introduce me to them. It also mentioned that he had a new daughter, Yeesha.  
  
Well, if I was going to meet some of the D'ni, I didn't want to look like I did, somewhat untidy hair and rather messy clothing. I brushed my hair and changed. I also grabbed a large, five-sectioned notebook and a pencil just in case I had some time. His worlds almost always inspire small stories. Finally ready, I laid my hand on the panel. I felt the discomfort of linking, and then the disorientation I always get afterwards.  
  
When I recovered, I saw a barren landscape. Red soil showed small tufts of grass, and a bird soared in the cloudless sky.  
  
"Breathtaking, isn't it?" said a voice behind me. I turned to see that I was in the greenhouse room and that Catherine was standing by a mass of ivy with Yeesha in her arms. "We call it Tomahna. We moved here after Atrus finished writing Releeshahn. He wanted us to have a new home too." She paused to look fondly at her daughter. "I'm so glad too see you. I told Atrus our paths would cross again." I mentally snorted at this. "He was just going to grab something for your trip to Releeshahn, so he shouldn't be terribly long. Unless he decides to check over the whole house first, which means he could be hours resetting all his padlocks. But I know he was looking forward to introducing you to the D'ni, so he shouldn't be terribly long. Why don't you wait in his study?" She went to sit on a bench in front of one of the glassless windows and played with Yeesha.  
  
I wasn't sure which door, so I went through the one directly in front of me. As I passed her, Catherine began to speak. "You know, this trip is exactly what Atrus needs right now. I haven't been able to get him out of the house for moths, ever since he found his journals out of place. But seeing how well the D'ni have settled in should help his finally relax." She then went back to playing with Yeesha and I proceeded to enter Atrus's study.  
  
It was an oval room divided into two halves by two enormous circles on the floor, and curtains that were drawn back. One half had his desk, the other a rather elaborate case holding what I assumed was Releeshahn. Two cabinets of books were behind the desk and four lined the wall behind Releeshahn. I wouldn't be surprised if they were all journals. I swear this man has more journals than he has time to write them. I suddenly doubted this idea, he would have them locked away elsewhere, by the sound of it.  
  
I examined his desk and the area around it first. On the desk I found a letter to someone named Tamon thanking him for the "Nara padlocks." I snorted when I saw a comment about someone reading all of his journals disturbing him. Not only is it impossible to read all of them, but I felt as though I had seen more of them than I can count. Next to the letter was a picture of Catherine and Yeesha. Behind that was an odd red stone. On the other side of the letter were pictures of Sirrus and Achenar, his greedy sons. They had long since been trapped in two special books, which were then destroyed. Beside the desk were shelves holding paper, what I assumed was ink, two boxes, and some strange rocks. Behind the desk was a stand holding the book of the now dead Riven.  
  
I decided to examine the tapestries in the middle of one of the walls. They appeared to depict Atrus and the D'ni. I wonder where he got them? One section of the tapestry nearer to Releeshahn caught my interest. It showed him surrounded by books and reading one of them.  
  
I moved to examine Releeshahn. The book itself seemed to be locked shut. I moved away a little and heard a voice behind me.  
  
"Well my friend, I see you've found the Releeshahn book." I turned to see Atrus in the doorway. He came closer as he spoke. "Catherine tells me you've been here for some time. I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting, but since we'll be gone for a few days I wanted to secure some of my things. And I also wanted to bring you this." I noticed a book in his hands. Not another journal! "It's a journal I kept while I was writing Releeshahn." Drat. "I thought you might find it interesting to read about what I hoped to achieve compared to what the age truly is." He handed me the book and then turned to get something from his desk. "Well, just let me get the keys to unlock Releeshahn, and we'll be off. Oh, and I'm interested in hearing what you've been up to in recent months."  
  
He was cut off when someone, a strange man in ragged clothing, linked in behind Releeshahn. He, to distract us, threw one of the fire marbles that were hanging by the book at the nearest curtain and it burst into flame. I heard glass break and when I turned I saw, to my horror, that the man had the book. He paused, and then linked away. As he did so, I heard Atrus call, through coughs, "Releeshahn!" The linking book fell to the ground, open. Without realizing what I was doing, I thrust my hand onto the linking panel. 


	2. J'nanin

J'nanin  
  
Darkness surrounded me, I felt my stomach lurch. I finally reach the strange world, disorientation chased away by fear and panic. I saw the man run along a short, curved catwalk. I followed and saw him at the top of a rectangular column of stone. A sort of ladder was built into it. Now, of all times, why did I have to wear a skirt! I reached to top to see him entering a sort of observatory. There was a wide, deep gap between the column and the observatory, and a rail less catwalk over it. A new fear came over me, a fear of heights. I continued over it, anyway, only to find the door locked. I looked through a window and saw the man pacing inside. Why would anyone want to steal Releeshahn, anyway? It couldn't have any real importance, except to Atrus. Perhaps I could get in by another way. I set off to explore the island.  
  
When I originally linked in, I hadn't noticed much about my surroundings. I looked and saw that the island was a sort of caldera. I examined the scenery. Rocks, water, rocks, giant tusks, hmm, nothing odd here. The observatory also rested atop one of these tusks. I went down the ladder (it's even harder to go down, somehow) and noticed a device at the spot where I linked. The entire piece was on a pole. It had three lenses equally spaced around it. On the top was a red fire marble. I looked through one lens, it showed another piece of the island. The other showed nothing, but the last was also clear. I then discovered the piece rotated. I moved on down a path toward a rock with the same device only with a blue marble. I continued up a slope with one of the viewers, as I decided to call them, holding a yellow marble. A little way down the path was a broken pole.  
  
I followed the path to a short set of stone steps that had apparently been carved into the rock. From the end of those there was a set going up to a sort of flat area in front of one of the tusks and more going further down. I went up to the tusk. The flat space had an odd device in the center. I couldn't figure out what it did, though. I turned, intending to leave, but I saw a door in the tusk with five buttons arranged in a circle. Below them was a handle. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. The buttons had to be the way to unlock it. There would be a certain sequence that I didn't know. Assuming that I would later find it, I went down the stone steps to a long strip of metal stairs. They twisted through a gap between two rocks. The slight wind whistled eerily through them. Those stairs led me down to yet more stone steps. This place rivaled Riven when it came to ladders and stairs.  
  
I reached the pond in the bottom of the caldera. There was a path across it to a small stained glass building at the base of the central tusk. This catwalk rested almost directly on the water. As I walked over it I looked into the water. It was slightly murky and I could see some plants growing in it. I entered the glass structure. There was a gate keeping me from entering further and a leaver. I flipped it and the gate swung back to let me through. I walked in and found, in a gap in the gate, a botton. I also noticed plants growing behind that. Many were leafy plants, but I noticed an odd one that seemed to be a trap for small animals, and was apparently carnivorous.  
  
When I pressed the button, I heard a noise behind me and turned to see a gate lowering. I cautiously went through. I was inside the tusk. It seemed as though someone had been living here, because on one side of the large circular room there was a hammock roughly sewn from animal skins. Sitting on it was a journal. Could this be the home of the thief? I felt that before I explored further, I should read the journals that I now possessed. I looked at Atrus' first.  
  
It spoke of how he had found other D'ni survivors and planned to rebuild the city. How he decided against this, and decided to build a new age, how he searched his journals for ideas, and decided how to write the age. I hadn't expected it to prove very useful, and it didn't. Perhaps the other journal would tell me something.  
  
This one proved more useful. It spoke of using "his" linking book against him. It described the affects of linking, and how this person recognized it. When in made a reference to "his murdering sons" I became suspicious that "he" was Atrus, considering my impression of Sirrus and Achenar. Apparently this man came from a world known as Naryan, and he, for some reason, followed the brothers to this world.  
  
It seemed that at one point Atrus came here and left a Tomahna linking book behind. This man had used it and found that this was Atrus' home. He was afraid because he thought that Sirrus and Achenar would be waiting for him there. He obviously did not know what had happed to them. He, for reasons he did not know, began to search. He found Atrus' "never-ending journals," and a linking book back here. So this was J'nanin. It seemed that Atrus had come back here. He mentioned someone called Tamra, his wife? I found his name, Saavedro.  
  
He kept trying to find some sign of the brothers, but couldn't. The writing seemed to grow bitter as he assumed that Atrus had forgotten Naryan, as he probably had.  
  
He wanted them to suffer. The entire family. I found this anger somewhat misplaced. I wouldn't object to anything happening to Sirrus and Achenar, but that was impossible.  
  
He became sure that the brothers were not in Tomahna. He seemed to underestimate Atrus in his remark of "What happened, Atrus? Did you grow tired of them, the way you grew tired of Naryan? Did you abandon them, the way you abandoned my people behind your shield?" I didn't understand what shield he meant, but I thought that perhaps I would find out later.  
  
Now Saavedro's anger was REALLY misplaced. He now planned revenge against Atrus. Atrus hadn't done anything! I read on, anyway.  
  
He said that he made changes to the other worlds. He said that he would lure Atrus here. I began to suspect that I had ruined those plans. He mentioned "the Orbiter," whatever that was. He had various diagrams on these pages of things I did not recognize.  
  
He seemed to have discovered Atrus' writings of Releeshahn, and he misunderstood. He believed that Atrus had reawakened a dead world. This false belief seemed to trouble him.  
  
He then spoke of more devices I did not know of, and drew more diagrams I couldn't understand.  
  
His last entry assured me of his plan. I now knew I had destroyed it. I also now understood some of what had happened. The brothers had trapped Saavedro here many years ago. At one point he went mad. Then, some time fairly recently, Atrus paid a visit to this age. Saavedro used the linking book to follow him, and he began to plot his revenge. Perhaps an hour ago he carried his plan out. And I, rather than Atrus, followed him. It might have been a good thing, though. I had no clue as to what he would have done to Atrus. But then again, I didn't know what he would do to me, either. I shook this thought out of my mind, and continued to look around the room.  
  
Near the hammock, there was a hexagonal column of rock. This held a rather interesting item. There was a sort of balancing...toy, I suppose might be a correct term. A stick was positioned so that the weights on both of its ends, little human figures, one on one end, two on the other, were perfectly balanced. I could guess who these figures represented. On the other side of the hammock I could see more pillars of rock. I noticed a scale on one of the pillars, but I couldn't get close enough this way.  
  
I walked around the desk positioned in the center of the room. On the wall behind it was a painting of a woman, Tamra? The eyes seemed very blurred. Although I knew the red substance he had used had to be a sort of paint, it bore a terrible resemblance to blood. Of course, that would have dried to a brownish color by now.  
  
The desk held some interesting items, as well. There was a scale here, too. It showed that one metal sphere equaled the weight of four crystal ones. As I looked at the items on the desk, I saw a clear tube with wire wrapped around it, what seemed to be a small generator, and one of those trap-like plants sitting in a large shell. Some of its roots were dangling into the desk.  
  
I experimented a little, and found that electricity made tiny pieces of something, metal, probably, fly up to the top of the tube. The plant reacted to the electricity by opening. A fly (which explained the buzzing sound I heard earlier) flew out as the plant's "leaf" rose. It buzzed around a little, but was trapped again as the plant clamped shut.  
  
I moved toward the column I had seen from the hammock. This scale balance one crystal sphere and four wooden ones. Spare spheres were scattered beside it, as well as one of a glowing type of stone in a bowl. From here I noticed something large and cylindrical beside me. There was a small passage beside it. I walked through it and saw a door on this side on the device. There was also a leaver beside it. I pulled it, the metal "cage" surrounding it (except for the door) spun around. Even though there was a good amount of space them and me, I tried to flatten myself against the wall as the spikes spun menacingly past. I nearly melded with it when the cage spun back into position at twice the speed. It rose and I realized that it was an elevator. I had found my way to Saavedro!  
  
I brought it back down with the same leaver and rode it up. When I got there I noticed one small problem, the door was on the wrong side of the room. I turned to look out a small circular window in the other side. I saw Saavedro walk into my view. He looked toward me. His voice was muffled, but I heard him clearly.  
  
"Atrus? That you? Come to rescue your book so soon? Not yet, old friend, not yet." He placed a crumpled piece of paper into a device, and watched as what looked like an egg-shaped cage rose out of a pit in the center of the room. He removed the paper and left my field of vision again. I looked around and saw, in the window through which I had pulled the leaver, a small green button. I pressed it and it took me back down. I noticed that there was a small pit below the elevator (the bottom was more grate than floor) in which I could see. something.  
  
I got out and sent the elevator up, this time prepared for the spikes. Once it was out of my way, I crawled down into the pit. What I had seen were places in which the sides had been broken to expose some of the mechanisms. Four to be exact, they looked familiar. I pulled out Saavedro's journal and flipped through it. There! His diagrams! Some of them showed these very mechanisms. This elevator must have been the other mechanism he spoke of, and I could now guess what the "scanning device" was. His diagrams must be proper settings.  
  
I reset everything, brought the elevator down, and hopped in. If I was right, maybe this thing would turn around. I was right. The seemingly pointless rotation of the "cage" was actually part of the process of rotating the elevator. When I reached the top, the "egg" had opened. I saw Saavedro walk out to it, and place his had on a linking book. He disappeared, the "egg" closed and sank into the pit, and so did some devise on the wall behind it (close, not sink into the pit).  
  
I stepped into the room, and looked around. Two more of those wall devices were evenly spaced around the room. The pit was surrounded by a railing, except in one spot. This area was between the scanning device and a glowing blue button that was reminiscent of Riven. I pressed it, unsure of what would happen. The three devices opened, each producing a different beam of light. A hologram image of Atrus appeared. From what I heard, I gathered that this world had been created to teach his sons to write, and that there were three other books scattered throughout the island, apparently more "Lesson Ages."  
  
Atrus' message to his sons was interrupted by one from Saavedro, to Atrus. Saavedro said that he had been trapped here by Sirrus and Achenar, that he had Releeshahn, and that to follow him, I would have to use the book below. He said that he had changed the three symbols that did that, and that to get them, I would have to take this course.  
  
I sighed, this was going to be a long day.  
  
~  
  
This was a long chapter, but Edanna, Amateria, and Voltaic will be just as long.  
  
And, to Shad0cat, I most certainly will continue, I'm just a slow writer. I'm not looking forward to the rest of the ages, but I practically have the Naryan chapter written. I had the same problem with locations of puzzles many times. It's amazing how entirely stumped (no pun intended) Edanna had me. Referring to the novels, I stumbled across The Book of Atrus, but I haven't gotten around to looking for the others yet. Um, I feel as though I'm eternally correcting you, but it's Ti' Ana, you were missing your I.  
  
Hopefully I'll be able to Finish writing the Edanna chapter quickly enough, but don't expect anything too soon. 


	3. To Edanna

To Edanna  
  
About now I was wondering just what happened to that Tomahna linking book, as I was reluctant to go running around God knows what kind of worlds to get a few symbols. But Saavedro would have destroyed or hidden it so that Atrus (or as it turned out I) wouldn't be able to go back.  
  
A thought occurred to me. Atrus is the kind of person who, in this situation, would have followed. Why hadn't he? I was suddenly concerned. Just how bad had that fire been? Was he alright? That study was filled with flammable things! I drove this concern out of my mind, as I had no way of returning.  
  
I looked around at the closest wall device to me. There was, that I could immediately see, a lens and two leavers below that. I looked more closely and saw that, around the lens, there were small tracks with small round pieces sitting in them. The lens had a symol etched into the center. It also showed a spot on the island, near one of the giant tusks. I found that I could move the image by touching the image and dragging my hand along it. One of the leavers focused the image, the other zoomed in and out. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing, but I focused it as well as I could, and made the etched symbol match exactly with one that I saw in a window in the tusk. When I moved the image, or focused, or zoomed in or out, certain ones of those round pieces moved around the track. I had a feeling that I might need these positions, so I copied them into my notebook.  
  
I did this with all three telescopes. Between two of them, I saw a piece of paper. I picked it up. It seemed to be a page ripped from Saavedro's journal. I didn't exactly understand what it was talking about. The only way to describe it is to copy it.  
  
"Sirrus. And. Achenar.  
  
The walls ran red with steam and strangling branches. I see their bloated faces laughing at everything. I remember how they lied. I remember what they did.  
  
They brought me here to die.  
  
I followed them.  
  
The Lattice Roots were black from too much overgrowth. Puffer spores floated up in the hot steam and burst. No one was there to guide the spores to the branches. No one was waiting to perform the ritual Weaves. The fighting had torn my people apart.  
  
They didn't care.  
  
They didn't care.  
  
They wanted Naryan to die."  
  
It seemed that the little rats had managed to destroy this world of Naryan. The world seemed to rely heavily on this plant, Lattice. From there I was confused. Perhaps I would understand later. I went back down the elevator. There had been another door out of that little greenhouse room.  
  
I exited that other door and looked around. I noticed that on a rock nearby was and odd, tent like thing. I managed to get to it. There was an odd, bulb like thing on top. When I touched it, it contracted and expanded again. A cute little creature peeked out from a crevice in the tent, and disappeared. That must have been its nest. I looked around a little more. In the water was a plant that, when I touched it, expanded. On a rock near that were odd, round, reddish, plant. For lack of anything to do, I called out the creature again. This time it darted out, across the expanded plant, and toward the reddish plant. It gave a little squeak, and the red plant expanded. It began eating, and continued to squeak. It turned away to look at me, and the plants deflated. It squeaked again, the plant expanded, and it began eating. I went to explore the rest of the shore of the lake.  
  
I found yet another ladder. Even Riven wasn't this bad! I went up it, and stopped to rest at a large flat spot near the top. Many plants grew here. There was much moss, and some odd plants. I looked up. There was one of the tusks near me. Unfortunately, it was inaccessible, even from the ledge that the ladder went up to. Covering it were more of those red plants.  
  
I approached one of the odd plants on my little ledge. I found that I could move it, and when I pointed the stamen at certain things, it directed the sounds so that I could hear them. I had an idea, perhaps I could use this to direct the cute little creature's squeaks to the red plants. When I did so, the plants expanded. I finished climbing the ladder and I made my way uneasily to the door, trying desperately not to fall. I was thankful to enter the tusk.  
  
I found that there was, inside, another puzzle waited for me. I looked at it. Wait a moment, four tracks, four marbles, this was just like those telescopes! I arranged the marbles in the pattern that matched this tusk, and pressed on the center of the tracks. The marbles retreated back to their former positions, and another egg shaped cage dropped down. This one had a large hole in it, though. A book was inside of it. It said "Edanna" on its cover. I opened the book. It showed a swirling image of what, at first, looked like a giant tree growing directly out of the water. I then saw that it was just the trunk. It seemed that things were growing inside of it, and some peeked out through crevices. I placed my palm onto the page. 


	4. Edanna

Edanna

I, yet again, felt my stomach lurch. The world around me came into view. It was beautiful. There was little around me but twisting pieces of the tree that Edanna once was, but a few plants were visible. A massive blossom dangled from a twisted piece of wood above me. It faced a net of vines. In the distance I could see two, enormous, screw like plants, one's fins (which is about the best word for them) were clamped tightly to the stalk. I heard the sound of a chirping bird. This place was gorgeous. All worries and concerns flowed out of me as I took in my surroundings.

I discovered that the dangling flower could be used as a telescope. I saw, within the vine cage, a J'nanin linking book. I backed away from the plant, and went to explore. There was a path leading to the open screw like plant.

At one spot, there was a crack in this world's massive trunk. I looked out to see Edanna's crystal ocean. It reminded me of Riven. Its waters were so warm, and Riven water was so much thicker than most water. I was comfortable there, just like I was comfortable here.

It wasn't like J'nanin or Tomahna. They both seemed so barren and forbidding. Where J'nanin wasn't dry, it was wet and much too cool for me, for those spots were in the shadows. And just thinking about Tomahna made me thirsty. How could Atrus pick a place like that to live?

A slight breeze woke me from my reverie and I continued reluctantly down the path. That great plant was an impressive sight. It stretched up to the top of this enormous tree. Its stalk was hard and woody. I discovered, quite by accident, that stepping on the fins made them ungulate, forcing me, quite quickly, upward. This ride was not fun. I held onto the stalk as much as I could, considering that I was spiraling upward. When I reached the top, I was deposited, with catlike grace, flat on my face. I never wanted to do that again!

I forced myself up and looked at my surroundings. I could hear the wind through all of the crevices of the tree. The top of the elevator plant was just strange, beyond my description. Beside the plant was what looked like a large bowl filled with water. The plant had sent down a tendril that seemed to send the water to the plant. Odd, usually plants got water from the ground. This plant probably just needed more water than normal plants. I was suddenly reminded of how thirsty I was. I cautiously took a handful and, finally sure that there was nothing wrong with it, gulped it down. I had several mere handfuls before I was satisfied.

From here I could see an enormous bird's nest resting over the net of vines. The source of the chirping I heard earlier was a baby bird. I got as close as I could to look at it, then noticed one of those dangling plants. Several buds also hung beside it. I looked through it for a better view. I eventually stepped back.

I looked around. There was another hole in the tree. I got close and saw that there was a path beyond it. I heard the cry of a bird, a BIG bird. I turned to see what I assumed was the mother bird fly to the nest. I got close again. She had brought her baby what seemed to be a bright colored fruit. I looked into that blossom again. The mother tore strips of fruit to feed the chick. She also gave a cry of what I assumed was warning to me. I went to explore that path I had seen earlier.

I walked down it and saw the top of the other elevator plant. I had just approached it when the great bird took off to find more of the fruit. She flew down and out of my view. I went back to the plant. It too had one of those bowls beside it, but it was empty. Suspended above it was some sort of pod filled with water. How to get it to this thirsty plant was another problem. And one that I had a terrible feeling I would need to solve. If going up these things was a nightmare, I didn't even want to think about going down.

I continued down the path. I reached a tall plant with fan-like leaves. Each leaf was at the tip of a tall stalk. I looked down to the spot where each stalk came together. There was a sort of bulb there with five petals. When I touched it, the stalks straightened and the leaves closed. This revealed a J'nanin linking book resting on a branch. At least now I knew that I had an accessible way back, but I felt no desire to use it. First, I hadn't gotten any of the symbols, and second, I didn't think that I ever wanted to leave.

I turned to see another large, orange, blossom. When I brushed against the stamen, the petals opened to reveal another natural lens. I looked through to see the second elevator and its bowl. I saw burn marks on the wood beside it. A new burn was also beginning to smoke. This plant seemed to work as a magnifying glass. How would that pod react to heat?

I directed the beam of light to it. After a few seconds, it burst, dropping all of its water into the bowl. The thirsty plant drank, visible bulges of water being sucked unrealistically through its tendril, and its fins opened. I backed away from the flower and rushed down to the plant. I looked at it for a second and, having nothing else to do here, stepped onto it.

This ride was twice as long and terrifying as the last. At one point I fell and ended up sliding down the rest of the way. I was finally deposited just as gracefully as the last time. My nose was beginning to hurt. I was becoming convinced that these plants were out to get me. Didn't it look smug…

I looked up to see a wooden corridor. I walked down it, past some of those split-leaved plants I saw on J'nanin and towards one of those bowls. In it was a blue fish whose mouth parts gave off an orange glow. Every once in a while it attacked a poor plant whose roots grew in the bowl. It seemed that this fish produced electricity.

I continued on down a rather confusing path. When I reached the end of it, there was another, empty, pod. At its end was what almost resembled a button surrounded by spikes. Not sure of what this thing would do, I pressed the button. It seemed that it now sucked water from the bowl, complete with fish. It didn't seem to be any worse off than before.

I turned and found a new path next to the one I came from. In front of it were more of Saavedro's journal pages. I was so entirely baffled with them that there is no real summary.

"I have desecrated the poem

he placed in the columns. I

could no longer stand to see

Naryan's artistry in his worlds.

I think I can do

something with

sap to cover the

second one, but

I'm not sure what

to do about the

island. I don't

know how to alter

the current.

Perhaps, if I bring in some of

the unusual floating stone from

Amateria? Something about the

molecular

composition of

the rock in

that age

causes it to

attract and

repel other

stone quite

forcefully.

Maybe, if I introduce some of

it to the soil on the island it

will interfere just enough to

damage the last poem.

I will have to conduct some

experiments."

Surrounding this were more diagrams and pieces of math that I couldn't read. I shoved the pages into the journal and explored the new passage. It opened into a larger room. I walked out onto a branch that served as a path. Above me was a flower that gave off light. On my right side a rotting log covered with those round, red plants from J'nanin served as a bridge. Past that I saw a small ledge that held what looked like a trap, a curled leaf at the end of a large tube, and, dangling from a branch above them, what looked like a blue vine. To my left were another ledge and another curled leaf. Under all of this was a bed of leafy plants.

I walked onto the bridge and nearly fell when I was startled by what sounded like a very unhappy mother bird coming from my left. Having no way to get to her, I continued across the bridge. This path took me through the tube I had seen earlier. At the end was what looked like the flower at the end of the passage I went through earlier, only closed so that little light came through. I noticed that a coil came down from the flower. Knowing the way that plants seemed to react around here, I gave it a small tug. The petals curled up to let light out. The large leaf uncurled in response.

I set my books down before I cautiously stepped onto it. Surprisingly, it held my weight all the way to the tip. This was where the vine I saw before was. This was my way to the ledge! I wasn't exactly sure what to do, but I swung towards the ledge. My feet brushed the leafy plants. I discovered that the log bridge got in my way, and I was forced back to the leaf. I decided to try the ledge with the trap.

This time it actually worked. This ledge held the only man made items I had seen on Edanna so far. Besides the metal and animal skin trap, there was a handle that I found rose the trap, and a lantern shedding a little light on the subject. A rope stretched from this spot to the leaf.

Behind the trap I found a plant with hard pink berries. Bait? I decided to try it. I plucked a berry and set it under the trap. Now all I had to do was leave.

I found a natural ramp beside the trap mechanism. When I tried to step down it I slipped and ended up sliding down, landing at the bottom with a thump. This place was going to give me more bruises…

I found my way back to the leaf, this time noticing a small handle beside it. I looked at the ledge. A small, white, furry creature emerged from its home in a hallow log behind the trap. It was the little squeaking creature from J'nanin. It began to munch happily on the berry.

Not knowing what else to do, I pulled the handle. The trap fell down on the unsuspecting creature which began to squeak madly. That didn't do any good. What does one do with a furry little creature? Nothing, I decided. I swung over to let it go. It ran back into its log.

I sat on the ledge by the trap. What was I supposed to do with the trap and how could I get to the other ledge? I pondered this for some time, until I figured it out.

If I removed the log I could get across, but how to do that was the problem. The log was covered with those round, red plants from J'nanin that expanded when my cute little friend chirped. If I could get it close enough to the log and squeak, perhaps that would be just enough stress on the log for it to break. It looked just unstable enough for my plan to work.

But how to get the creature close enough? I had to get it to come out (which in itself was easy) and perhaps scare it to the bridge. When I trapped it and let it out it just ran back into its nest. I had to block the way to the nest. Of course! The trap would block the way. If I placed the bait a little away from the trap then let it fall, it would scare the creature and it just might go for the bridge. If it went another way, however, my one way of getting across would be lost. I had to try.

I plucked a berry and put it on the ground a short distance from the trap. I slid down the little ramp, this time prepared. I went back to the leaf and waited for the creature. When it eventually came it began to eat the berry. I let the trap fall. The creature, being unable to get to its nest, ran for the log. When it reached the log, it chirped. The plants began expanding and it jumped over before the log broke and went crashing down to the bottom. Success!

Now I was able to swing to the other ledge. I gathered my books and swung awkwardly over. Here I found the other curled leaf and one of the lamps. I opened the blossom. This leaf provided a way to a path leading back to the path with the fish.

I decided to examine a tunnel leading to someplace behind the ledge. As I continued on I began to hear a noise like something trying to get out of a sac. I hurried down the path and found the "sac." Here sat one of the trap plants from J'nanin, except this one was large enough that I could fit in it. The thing inside rose enough that I could see it's head through the crack between the rim of the trap and its leaf. It was the mother bird. I tried to pry the leaf away, but it wouldn't budge, and I almost got pecked for my trouble. I remembered that this plant also responded to electricity. Where's an electric cattle prod when you need one?

I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I looked around. I found a path different from the one I came from. This led to yet another part of Edanna. Somewhere under the trap I found another pod and a wall where someone (obviously Saavedro) had painted something. The mural showed two figures, unmistakably Sirrus and Achenar, talking to a crowd of people who seemed to be hanging onto every word. Piled at their feet and in their hands were books, linking books by the rectangles on their pages. This was yet another of the little bit's that I didn't fully understand. I could translate somewhat, however. The brothers seemed to be seducing who I could only assume to be the people of Naryan with these other worlds. It seemed like their style, even though I didn't exactly know what their style was.

Until now I hadn't thought about Saavedro or Releeshahn. All I thought of was the beauty of the age and the puzzles. Now I remembered the urgency of the situation. I had to retrieve Releeshahn. My thoughts wandered back to Tomahna. Was the fire under control? Were my friends alright? I would have thought that Atrus would follow by now.

I forced my thoughts back to my surroundings. I pressed the pod's button and the fish and water were transported. This shed more purple-pink light on the mural. This time when I looked at it, I saw more than the picture. I saw Saavedro's pain. Somehow Sirrus and Achenar had managed to destroy Naryan. A bit of rage bubbled up in me. Those two had destroyed so much!

The great bird's cry reminded me that I had something I needed to do. From the pod I saw two paths, one to the left and one to the right. I tried the right path. Here I found three large, lavender blossoms. They reminded me of a kind of orchid I once had. The first I couldn't reach, the second was in the shade, and the last was in the sunlight. I found that they reflected the sunlight with their large petals. I had the feeling that I would need them later.

I retraced my steps back to the mural, then took the left path. This took me down a natural staircase, past some weird glowing plants, then to another pod and basin. I pressed the pod again, pulling that poor fish to me. Then an idea struck. The trap's roots dangled into the basin. Electric fish, electricity responding plant. What I had to do was get the fish out of the pod and into the basin, but how would I do that?

I continued along the path as I thought. At one point the path split somewhat. At the end of the short section that extended from the original path was a strange device. When I pressed a button, I discovered it to be a sort of hologram device. Saavedro left this message:

"What's the matter Atrus? Can't remember how things work? Yet you explained this class so well when we first spoke of it on Naryan. 'I want Sirrus and Achenar to learn everything they can, Saavedro. First from Amateria, Edanna, Voltaic, and finally from Naryan. When my boys see your people, I want them to see Naryan's traditions at work, so they can see how civilization can balance an age.' Do you know what they did when they finally came to us? You never came back. After class was over, you took your boys away, and you never came back. Sirrus and Achenar did."

The message ended, leaving me standing there, pondering Saavedro's words. What part did Saavedro play in Dumb and Dumber's teaching? I had assumed that they knew each other from Saavedro's earlier remark of "old friend" on J'nanin. I replayed the message several more times, before the bird cried out again, calling me to my task.

I continued down the path to find another curled leaf but no handing light. That was useful. I needed light.

Of course, I thought. I needed light! I remembered the way that the pod at the top of Edanna burst when a concentrated beam of light shown on it. The orchids! I rushed back up the path, to the mural, then down the other path.

I ran to the third orchid, only to be disappointed when I was unable to reflect light to the pod. If I tried, the orchid's petals blocked the light, rather than reflecting it. The angle was wrong. Could I use the second orchid if I directed the light to it? I positioned the last orchid so that it reflected light to the second.

Unfortunately, this orchid couldn't reflect to the pod, either, but it did reflect to the leaf. It uncurled and I raced to it. Across the leaf was a large, hollow branch. I worked my way up it and to a new hollow branch.

This one led me to a sort of ledge. Here I found another of the orange flowers from the top of Edanna, and a fourth orchid. The petals that had covered the amber lens before had been ripped off, and it was pointing to the pod. How would I get light to it? I remembered the orchid. It wasn't in sunlight, and the one orchid that was wouldn't reach this one, but I wondered where the first orchid pointed. It seemed to be this direction. If it did point this way, I could position the orchids so that the third orchid reflected to the first, which reflected to the fourth, which reflected to the orange flower, which focused the light and popped the pod. I positioned the forth orchid and made my way back down the branches, this time noticing a different one above the first branch.

I went back over the leaf and to the third orchid. This place was getting exhausting! I repositioned the correct orchid, and everything worked perfectly. The pod popped, the fish escaped and attacked the plant, the plant opened, and the bird escaped. With a cry she flew over my head and out the crack that let the sunlight in. Now to explore that other branch…

I moved the orchid back to its previous position and went all the way back up the branches to get that upper branch. My legs were beginning to hurt. In the middle of the branch I found another journal entry. I leaned against the wall to read.

"The book sits on the floor of

the tusk, its swirling panel

reaching tentacle-like arms

out to grab me. I want to

close my eyes, to shut out

these false illusions before

they suck me into the fog. I

do not want those swirling arms

to touch me.

Why? Why am I so afraid of his

book?

I want to remember. I must.

I think-

I think this man may have come

to our village. But he was

younger then. Dark haired.

Tall. Wearing the same

strange flowing brown robes.

He carried a book in his hands

then too and he's always using it.

Always writing down notes. His

eyes are covered by thick

glasses but his face is warm

and friendly. He tells me his

name. He says it's Atrus.

I remember now. His name is

Atrus.

Atrus says he's come to our

village from a faraway place

because he wanted to learn

about the Tree. He says he'll

only stay awhile. Doesn't want

to stop our endless labors. He

says he wants to help, if we

will let him.

Oh Tamra. Why did we let him?

This Atrus stayed with us for

months. I taught him how to

trim the delicate Lattice

roots. How to splice old and

new growths together so the

walls of our houses will grow

strong. I tell him the

traditions of the weave. How

by using the spores to support

the growing branches, we keep

the Lattice Tree alive. He

wants to learn everything I

know. He wants Naryan to

survive.

I take him to the rift, to

where the sea flows through

gaps in the world. Steam flows

up from the waterfall. The

puffer spores are ready to

take flight. We stand in the

shadows of dusk and watch

the spores begin to rise. He

says they look like pearls

against the sky. Then he points

to one of the spores. It's

smaller than the rest. Small

enough to fit the niche we'd

woven into the branches that

morning. Its skin is milky

white. With just the faintest

touch of pink.

That one, Atrus said. That

should support your new

daughter's room perfectly, I

think.

I remember I nodded. Then I

raised my pipe and played.

Atrus stood beside me, holding

his breath as my song drew the

hollow spore close. As soon as

it was near he threw the net

and dragged it in.

This is what I remember.

This is why I said he could send

me his sons."

A teardrop fell onto the paper, then another. For some reason I stared crying. I stuffed the paper into the journal before I could soak it any further. I let myself slide down to the bottom of the branch, letting my books drop and scatter on the floor.

Silent tears of combined rage at the brothers and sorrow for Saavedro and Atrus streamed down my face. It just seemed like too much. I wasn't sure that I could stand the details of their friendship, considering what happened. If only Atrus had known what his sons would become! But then again, what would he do if he did? It was a good thing that Sirrus and Achenar never learned to Write. I shuddered at the thought.

I eventually calmed enough to move on. I gathered my notebook and the journals, stuffing papers back into Saavedro's journal. I got up and moved on.

A narrow path led me to another blue vine. I glanced around. This time there was no way to go but down. I gripped one of the branches framing it and looked out. There was such a pretty view of the ocean. I sighed. Stalling did me no good. It did Releeshahn no good. That thought got me moving. I made sure that I gripped my books tightly. I went over to the vine, held on, and let myself drop to what I imagined was certain death.

It wasn't. Whether that was good or not I'll let you decide. I watched the vine retreat back up. At least I was closer to the ground, now. I saw two paths before me. One was a natural staircase, the other a narrow path beside it. Between was another of the weird greenish glowing plants. I tried the stairs.

This led me to an abnormally large leaf whose split tip curled up above my head. I, not knowing how it would react at the time, stepped onto it to look at it more closely. It suddenly began to rock upwards. It reached the short path that led me to the blue vine, and its tip curled tightly around a branch. I stumbled off and watched it fall back down. I was a little stunned. I stared at the spot where the leaf had been until I realized that I had to go back down. I groaned. These plants had it in for me!

I survived my second trip down as well. This time I tried the other path, making a mental note to stay away from abnormally large leaves. This let me through a sort of natural arch and into a dark, wet chamber. A path skirted a large swamp. In the middle of the swamp was a large, ball like plant. The sounds of animals filled my ears, and the scent of a combination of sea water and swamp water filled my nose. I wasn't too sure I liked this place.

I followed the path until I found another path that I decided to explore later. I continued along this original path until I found a bright spot. Here was another enormous crack so I could see the ocean. The sound of waves splashing against Edanna's trunk drowned out other sounds. As I gazed across the waters I wondered what other islands or continents this world held, and what civilizations might be found there. What plants or animals might live there, and what things might live in these oceans? I wondered if Atrus ever had these thoughts.

Here another of the orchids also grew. I looked through it and pivoted it to gaze at the large plant. Much to my surprise, when the spot of light fell on the plant's stamen, they uncured, reminding me of the antennae of a bug. With one final glance at the aqua waters of the ocean, I retraced my steps back to the other path.

This led me to a new, lighter chamber. This swamp was dominated by another of the large, round plants. This one, however, was open, and a swarm of insects flew around it. I shuddered, hoping that they didn't bite. I was very prone to biting insects.

From my position I could follow the path that circled the swamp two ways, left or right. The right path led my up to a spot where I could see picked at fruit. So this was where he bird was getting it. But she wasn't going to get any more from this one. I had to get the other plant to open. It was probably full of fruit.

The path then led me back down past a large, hollow root with a large hole cut into it, to one of the large flower's leaves. Odd mushrooms covered it. I accidentally stepped on one. The mushroom shot up spores, making me sneeze.

It seemed that the insects didn't much like them, either. They began to fly away. The moment they left the flower's stamen, the plant began to close. The spores quickly settled, though, letting the insects come back and the plant open. So the plant needed light and insects to stay open? How could I close this one and get the insects to go to the other flower? I had to block out the light, but how?

It was then that I saw the closed fan plant in the light. It looked as though the other path would take me there. I retraced my steps and found the other path. It led me past some beautiful dangling white flowers and to the fan plant. I pressed its center and it opened its leaves. My view of the large flower was blocked, but I heard it close. I quickly moved to where I could see it.

The plant had closed but the stubborn insects wouldn't leave. I raced back to the mushrooms and stepped on the one closest to the flower. The spores shot out and the insects flew away. I hurried to see the other flower. The plant was indeed open and full of fruit. Now to explore that root…

I entered the large blue root. One way was flooded, but I could easily travel the other direction. A short way along the root I found yet another journal entry.

"The final painting is almost

done. It's been hard to work in

the heat, but he must see

everything that happened. As

he follows the instructions I

have left him, he will feel the

pain I've suffered.

If he doesn't, perhaps both of

us will die."

I didn't know about Atrus, but I was definitely feeling his pain. I refused to think about the last sentence. Stuffing the paper in the journal, I quickly continued down the root.

Some distance ahead, the root turned sharply upward, and I found myself inside the open flower. Specifically, I was inside a sort if cage. I looked down at the pink fruit at the bottom if it. I realized just how hungry I was, and cautiously plucked some of it off. I carefully sampled a bit of it. It was delicious! I moved to get more of the fruit, but stumbled, I grabbed onto an odd looking piece of the cage and used it to pull myself back up. When I let go, it moved back up, and something shot from the top of the cage. I was wondering exactly what happened when the mother bird flew in. She grabbed the cage and lifted it, and me, up and out of the tree. I held onto the cage for dear life as she flew around and up to her nest. There she deposited me and shortly after landed. She squawked, clearly telling me to leave. I was happy to oblige.

I grabbed some more fruit and hoisted myself out of the cage. Unfortunately, I found myself sliding down a twisted piece of wood. When I stopped, I found that I was in the vine cage I had seen when I first arrived in Edanna. Here I found, besides the J'nanin book, a vine suspended in hardened sap. It twisted to form an unusual shape that I was convinced to be one of the symbols. I hurriedly drew it on a blank page of my notebook and approached the linking book.

I looked around me at Edanna. I would miss it. It was a place I would like to visit under different circumstances. I thought about that vast ocean and wondered one last time what might lay beyond those waters. With a sigh I reluctantly flipped the book open and placed my palm on the page.

I thought that I would NEVER finish this! It feels so good to finally be done! The thing with the other continents and islands is something that I've been thinking about for a while. Consider how unlikely it is to have a world about the size of Earth be covered in water except for one little speck of land. It's virtually impossible! Just think, when Riven died, just how many unknown civilizations may have gone with it? Just a thought.

Review, please.


	5. And Back

And Back  
  
I arrived back on J'nanin inside the observatory. I was surprised to see that it was getting dark. Well, there was certainly going to be no puzzle- solving in this light, and I was exhausted. Everything fled my mind; Saavedro, the symbol, Atrus, Releeshahn... I curled up on the floor against the wall to sleep.  
  
I woke to a beam of sunlight in my eyes. About to pull the covers up over my head, I realized that there were none, and I was lying on something hard. Why was I on the floor? I sat up. Squinting because of the sun, I looked around. Where was I!?  
  
With a groan, I remembered. Memory flooded back; Atrus, Saavedro, Releeshahn, Edanna, J'nanin, the symbol. I jumped up, opened my notebook, and ripped the page with the symbol out. Guessing what I had to do, I placed it in the scanning device. The base raised an image of the symbol. The bottom of the upper section of the device fell to the base. The entire thing rotated before the image sank and the bottom returned to its proper place.  
  
The egg-cage rose from the pit, but remained inaccessible. A new hologram image was activated. I looked up and listened to Saavedro's next message.  
  
His comment about running around like a rat in a maze meant nothing to me. I was used to it. During the events of Myst and Riven, I had done a lot of running around. Then he started with Sirrus and Achenar again. They had said things about fixing instabilities and rewriting Naryan. I frowned. Sirrus and Achenar, or Achenar and Sirrus if you feel perverse, couldn't Write. He continued about Sirrus and Achenar convincing them (the people of Naryan) into abandoning their traditions. The little rats later abandoned Naryan. Saavedro followed them here to try to convince them to help Naryan. It seemed he never left.  
  
This explained more than it didn't. After viewing the message several times, I left the room through the elevator door. The elevator remained on the bottom, and a metal grate covered the hole. I unlocked the door that led outside, and stepped onto the metal catwalk.  
  
I could see the two remaining tusks that held what I assumed to be the other lesson age books. I decided to explore the one that was closest. I let my books fall to the bottom before struggling down the ladder built into the stone column, battling with my skirt the entire way. I finally made it to the bottom, collected my books, and set off for the tusk.  
  
I noticed a large hole on the great mass of rock beside it. When I reached it, I saw a short ladder leading down to a walkway. I quickly climbed down only to find that a barrel-shaped thing blocked my path to a door in the bottom of the tusk. There had to be a way to get it out of the way. I climbed up the ladder to look around a bit more.  
  
When I emerged I saw the top stirrup-like rung of another built-in ladder on another part of the rock. I went to investigate. On the bottom I found a device with two levers. I pulled one to see what it would do and found that it moved a section of the walkway up. This rolled the barrel down to bang into the door. The other moved a different spot. This was wow to get the barrel out of my way!  
  
With much experimenting, I finally got the barrel to a position on the other side of the ladder, clearing the path. I raced up to the ladder, and down to the walkway. I quickly got to the door. An unpleasant surprise awaited me in the tusk. A gaping hole had been broken into the floor between me and the other pedestal holding the marbles-and-tracks puzzle that gave me access to the book. Now what was I going to do?  
  
I turned to climb back up the ladder, and spotted the barrel. Perhaps...? It was a wild theory, but I had to try. I went back up the ladder, down to the levers, and did a little experimenting. With my last pull of a lever, the barrel rolled into the still open door with a crash. Grinning, I made my way back across the rock and down to the walkway, then to the doors  
  
Just as I had thought, the barrel filled the space, allowing me to get to the pedestal. I walked carefully over, an exercise made more difficult by my armful of books. I finally reached a somewhat stable bit if floor in front of the pedestal, fished around in my notebook for the proper positions, and slid the marbles into place. I pressed the center of the circle, and the marbles slid to their former positions. A weight raised as another open cage lowered in front of me. The blue book in the cage had printed on it, in gold letters, "Amateria."  
  
I opened the book and watched the swirling image of a rocky, watery island covered with oriental-ish buildings. I placed my palm on the page and felt myself being transported to another world.  
  
Short, I know, but Amateria will be MUCH longer. Regarding Amateria, I need help. One of the puzzles that I couldn't figure out is bugging me. Remember the last one with those little circles? I have no clue how this character/I will figure it out. It was beyond me and it still is. Anyone have ideas?  
  
Review. 


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